John F. Hughes

Four hours plus in Paris. What to do? We have a lay over.

Richard

John, Assuming you're outbound from or returning to the US, you'll have not much to do at CDG except people watch, shop duty-free or, if you're into that sort of thing go to the Mickey D's in the terminal. Hope people more creative than I have a better suggestion.

Myer

Just enough time for the brave. Take the shuttle (I think it's the Rossy bus)to the Opera building (35-45 min x 2 for both ways). Then marvel at the building, walk down rue de la Paix (5 min) through the beautiful Place Vendome (stop 5 min to look around) past the Ritz through the Place and over to Place de la Concorde (5 min). From there you get a view to the left of the Louvre, to the right up the Champs Elysee and the Arc de Triomphe (quite far up but you get a pretty good view)(10 min). Walk 50-100 yards in front of you to the bridge and get a view of the Sein and to the right with a little bit of left the Eiffel Tower (10 min including viewing). The walk from the Opera and back to the bus is well under an hour and look what you will have seen. Actually on the bridge you might even get a glimpse of the d'Orsay museum. <BR>Paris in an hour.

vosaki

Myer shows you all the right moves. But I'd still stay in the airport. A couple of years ago, I came very close to missing a flight from CDG to the US. I would have sacraficed a year in Paris not to have gone through the panic and recrimination that I felt. My family was waiting at the airport, Just thinking about their anxiety was horrifying.

Izzy

I too have 4 hours in January. Travelling with wife and 15 month old and wife wants to go to a store in Latin Quarter. Am I better off just hopping a cab somewhere closer? to grab some caffeine for an hour before heading back. We've been to Paris before so this is mainly to kill time, get some air and get me some of that great French coffee and morning pastry. PS. Our bags will all be checked through to Vienna so we can go straight to gate.

deck

Stay at the airport. It's too far. Did you see the photo of the countryside around the airport at the Concorde crash. There's not much out there. If there are no traffic problems, and you get a direct bus or cab, I don't think you will have more than a 1/2 to spare. Then, you have to find another cab back, or get a bus leaving at just the right time(both are chancy). The Air France shuttle bus does have a regular schedule to the Opera area. But, I think it is way to risky.

Lori

When I read questions like this I think am I the only person on this planet who worries about missing a plane. Stay put is my advice! 4 hours is not enough time to do anything meaningful, if you do venture out you can get caught in traffic or delays on the Metro and miss your flight. 4 hours is not a not deal, read a book or magazine, have something to eat, people watch-it will go by quickly. You run too big a risk to go anyplace.

Lori

oops - meant to say 4 hours is not a big deal! Another thought, you might try talking to some French people - it could be a lot of fun. We met the nicest couple from Calais last time we were at CDG and talked with them for over an hour - they were enroute to Miami and the wife told us she loved to shop there, the towels were the best!

rlk

- <BR>Stay put - I'm also someone who'd be too worried about missing that connection. And besides, your plane may end up being delayed or late --- then by the time you actually land in CDG, those 4 hours may have become 2 1/2 hours. <BR>

Julie

John, relax and people watch. Duty free shopping is the way to go. The hours will fly by. Traffic could be a nightmare and you wouldn't want to risk missing your flight.